Tasmanian Liberal League

The Tasmanian Liberal League was a political party in the Australian state of Tasmania. It was founded in 1909 and merged into the Nationalist Party in 1917. During its existence it formed a two-party system in the Parliament of Tasmania with the Australian Labor Party (ALP). Although the league was created in the same year as the federal Liberal Party, there were no formal ties between the two. Background Tasmania was the last Australian state to develop formal political parties, both in terms of parliamentary parties and extra-parliamentary organisations. The first statewide political party was the Reform League, founded in 1902. It was soon followed by the Workers' Political League, the forerunner of the current Labor Party. The Reform League was succeeded by the National Association in 1904, which in turn became the Southern Tasmanian Progressive League in 1907. With the exception of the Labor Party, which grew rapidly, the parties were mostly inactive outside of election years. There was little cooperation or central control even during election campaigns, and there was no preselection, only endorsement of existing candidates. Within parliament, there was virtually no party discipline outside of the Labor Party, and the main factions continued to be those supporting the government (known as "ministerialists") and those opposed (the Opposition). Formation In March 1908, a Farmers' and Stockowners' Association (FSA) was founded with three members of the Legislative Council on its executive committee. In a letter to The Mercury in May 1909, its president Andrew Mansell argued that the National Association and Progressive League had failed due to their lack of support in country areas, and called for the formation of a new anti-Labor organisation. The FSA received support from the local branch of the Australian Women's National League, as well as what remained of the Progressive League. A public meeting chaired by William Burgess was held in Launceston on 20 July 1909, where it was resolved to form a statewide anti-socialist organisation. The meeting adopted the name "Tasmanian Liberal League", and subsequently put forward a seven-point platform and a draft constitution.